Nadi Balance: Lyme Disease and Asking Questions

***** DISCLAIMER:As with all of our posts here at Pure Jeevan, and particularly those coming up over the next week and a half (which will all be tagged with a new term, "Nadi Balance"), please refer to the disclaimer that runs at the bottom of all Pure Jeevan Pages. Wendi and Jim are health researchers, educators, and extreme self-experimenters -- not doctors.******

Nadi Balance: Part II

Even though this ground-breaking information we're sharing is not necessarily about Lyme disease, the story of Wendi's contracting, suffering, and healing from it is essential background information. So, we're going to talk about Lyme disease frequently here and in the next few posts, but know that the real, underlying story is about so much more than Lyme disease. (In fact, it's about overall health for everyone!)

As many of you are aware, Wendi lost nearly a year of her life to the debilitating and excruciating pain of Lyme disease. Chronic Lyme disease, which is what she had, is usually just that -- chronic. It is rare that individuals with chronic Lyme disease are ever fully healed; many end up severely disabled (mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually), heavily medicated on the strongest pain meds available (e.g., morphine, etc.), and never fully enjoy living life like most others (and their loved ones are equally affected by witnessing helplessly).

We, as well as many in the raw food community, were surprised that Wendi, as a long-term raw foodie (3+ years), was so severely affected by the Lyme bacteria after being bitten by a tick in early 2009. For those who aren't aware of what she went through, the pain mostly settled in her shoulders, which caused her to be nearly unable to move her arms without crippling over in breathtaking agony (and this lasted for nearly a year, and was growing progressively worse).

In the beginning of the Lyme disease, Wendi began experiencing neurological disorders (blurred vision, speech/word usage confusion, shaky hands, inability to move individual fingers at will, and other symptoms). At first, she followed her intuition and did a five-day water fast, which halted her neurological Lyme symptoms. She wanted to extend the fast. However, even though the neurological symptoms had subsided, the arthritic-type pain was too severe to endure in her weakened, fasting state. So, she ended the fast. For all of us at Pure Jeevan -- and especially for those witnessing this once-vibrant woman crippled and in 24/7 anguish -- the road to recovery was filled with fear, anxiety, stress, depression, and heartache.

For those unaware, our research uncovered that, if treated within the first few months of contracting Lyme disease, an individual can be easily cured. Even though Wendi knew that she was suffering from Lyme disease, she could not find a doctor to properly diagnose and treat her within that time frame. By the time she received a confirmed diagnosis via testing and consulting with a Lyme-literate doctor, it was too late for successful treatment. From there, she was faced with experimenting with allopathic and various alternative treatments (the list is endless) in cooperation with her Lyme-literate doctor. (For a summary of some of the protocols she tried, please search our blog for "Lyme.")

There came a point at which her inner voice spoke so loudly she could no longer follow any one else's suggested guidelines or protocols for what she needed to do to heal her body. She ceased all allopathic and alternative treatments and allowed her body to calm itself from the onslaught of "cures" that were only causing her more pain and suffering. (However, one highly touted raw food protocol in particular was so ingrained in her thought process as safe and beneficial that she continued with it. We now know that she was on a fast-track to *death* from following that particular protocol! More on that later.) It was in that quiet state that she was able to hear and focus on the many questions she and others had been asking all along. From there, she gained a sense that there was an answer to help her body heal, but that she just hadn't found it yet. (This was an intuition she has always lived with, however the excruciating pain and resulting fear of what was happening to her body interfered with her deeper recognition of this truth.)

Some of the questions she focused on:

How could a long-term, healthy raw foodie become ill?

How could a raw food diet not heal Lyme disease, when it's known to cure others of equally horrible diseases, including cancer?

How come some individuals with Lyme disease have found healing through a raw food diet, yet the raw food diet was not healing her?

Are there things that raw just doesn't cure?

How come doctors, who are supposedly trained in healing the body and understanding disease, were (and are) clueless about Lyme disease -- it's signs, its progression, etc.

These were some of the initial questions we asked ourselves again and again. Raw always seemed like the ultimate pinnacle when we first "discovered" it. But, here's a case where Wendi had lost 100 pounds over a few years, and was at an apex on many levels (at least, ostensibly). So, how is it that she could get sick? Pondering all of these questions, we broadened our inquiries to include additional ones. For example:

How is it that one nearly universally respected healing supplement (as alluded to above) was not healing Wendi (and in fact was quickly killing her)?

Is it possible that there are supplements and superfoods that are great for some people and not others?

Is it possible that one person's superfood or supplement is another's poison?

How can it be possible that people do the same things and get different results?

How can it be that some people are reporting great results when they start eating raw meat or dairy after existing on a raw vegan diet (as seems to be a new trend)?

Are we all (even raw foodies) truly as mineral-deficient as we have heard?

Is it true that an alkaline diet and body is the key to longevity, healing, and ultimate health?

What does alkalinity and acidity really mean?

How can so many health gurus advocate diets that seem to be diametrically opposed? Can they each individually be right and wrong all at the same time?

Is there a commonality -- some "Grand Unified Theory of Health" -- that can explain all of these things?

Well, friends, we've found the answer to ALL of the above questions. It's what we've coined as "Nadi Balance." It's going to take us some time (and this new blog category) to explain that (and for those inquisitive individuals who have already looked up "nadi" to find out more about it, we're not exclusively referring to the energetic/subtle meaning of that word, so you still have much more to learn from what we'll be sharing). But, that's it. That's the answer to all of our questions, as well as all other questions about disease and ill health -- "Nadi Balance."

Pay special attention here! We're sharing something vital in explaining not only how Wendi was able to help her body heal, but also how others can solve problems (not only physical) within their lives, as well. Wendi asked questions of herself, of others, and never stopped asking until she found answers that helped move her in the direction of her cure.

The key take-home message today is: NEVER STOP ASKING QUESTIONS! It is through asking questions that we discover answers.

Coming up next: Finding answers to your questions and following your intuition. The key step to finding answers: Research!

***** DISCLAIMER:As with all of our posts here at Pure Jeevan, and particularly those coming up over the next week and a half (which will all be tagged with a new term, "Nadi Balance"), please refer to the disclaimer that runs at the bottom of all Pure Jeevan Pages. Wendi and Jim are health researchers, educators, and extreme self-experimenters -- not doctors.******

Original Comments

Below, we have included the original comments from this blog post. Additional comments may be made via Facebook, below.

On April 21, 2010, Mindy wrote:

I will be reading all these posts with great interest. In the summer of 2008, I developed a hoarseness in my voice. It progressively got worse until my voice literally sounded like I was being strangled when I spoke, with portions of words being lost. After some false starts and misdiagnoses (I did find out along the way that I have Celiac Disease) I was diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called spasmodic dysphonia. No one knows what causes it, and in fact, like so many misunderstood maladies, people who have this were once told the whole thing was in their head, that they didn't want to talk, and then referred to psychiatrists. Now they know that for "some reason" the nerves leading to the vocal chords stimulate uncontrollable spasms, which cause the difficulties in speech. The vocal chords themselves are normal, though they can be harmed over time from straining to speak. Many people have lost jobs due to this disorder. I was eventually laid off, and I'm sure this contributed in a major way. When you are diagnosed, you are told it is "incureable". Allopathic treatment options are super limited and actually toxic. The most radical involves a surgery in which some of the nerves are actually cut, which apparently has helped some people, but can also totally destroy your ability to speak. The most common treatment, which I've had three times, and many others have undergone multiple times for years now is...hold on to your hats...botox (botulinum toxin) injections directly into the vocal chords, which paralyzes some of the nerves and results in a period of clear speech. Of course, it gradually wears off and has to be repeated. The whole thing sounds crazy, but apparently Botox injections have been used for years to treat the symptoms of cerebral palsy and other disorders, long before it was grabbed by the cosmetic industry. The potential and common side effects aren't pretty. They include the toxin potentially migrating to other parts of the body and causing paralysis, and potentially losing the ability to swallow and breathe (and we know the result of the latter). Common side effects which I experience each time after the injections: I don't lose the ability to swallow, but I have to swallow small amounts and very slowly or I choke. For the first few weeks, I have no breaks in my voice, but I have what's called "the whisper voice". I literally cannot speak above a whisper. They have to experiment with dosages, until they find an amount that minimizes the side effects and maximizes results. The first two times I had the injections, within days I developed severe sinus infections. I reported this and was given no comment about it, but I recently discovered there is a 12%! incidence of this as a side effect. Currently I am out of work, and it is very difficult to interview when you can't speak. It's also very difficult to find work where you don't have to speak. Additionally, I live alone, which can be very isolating as it is. When my voice is at it's worst, as it is now, I can't speak on the phone and socializing just doesn't happen, unless it's one-on-one in a quiet environment and even then it is very hard. I have put off these injections for months, experimenting with vegan and raw foods and even juice feasting for the better part of March, hoping for some turnaround. I am scheduled to have the injections again today, and I feel I don't have another option right now. The dosage was much reduced last time, and I had no infections. I plan to ask for still less today, hoping to limit the length of time of the whisper voice. The thing that depresses me the most is to feel I'm a hostage to the medical system. Each time I do this I have to shell out a few hundred dollars, and the thought of doing this for years, having this toxic substance in my body over and over is very disturbing, too. I'm sorry this post is so long. Thank you for your patience. You needn't be concerned about disclaimers in my case. I take full responsibility for anything I try. Anyway, I have hope that the info you share will be very helpful for me. For me, and I'm sure for many others, it can't come too soon. Thank you so much for sharing!

On April 21, 2010, CandiceDavis wrote:

This is so fascinating! By God's grace, I've not suffered any serious illness thus far in my life, but I'm looking forward to learning about your discoveries. Great questions you're asking. Thanks for blogging on this subject.

such interesting questions. i have asked myself a million times as a sufferer of chronic pain and fatigue. you are leaving me hanging! please tell me more!

On April 22, 2010, Tina wrote:

love you guys...looking forward to more...

hugs, eat well, be well,
tina

On April 22, 2010, Kathleen wrote:

SO glad you are well again. I think following your intuition is important. I never gave up on getting better from chronic fatigue, even though health specialists did not help, and I finally found the answer. Never give up!!